Vudu lands on the PlayStation 3

By Geoff Duncan November 17, 2010

Now that the PlayStation Move is out the door, Sony figures it’s time to turn the PS3 from an exercise-inducing body-moving system back into the couch-potato fantasy that was always intended: Sony and Vudu have announced that Vudu high-definition streaming movies will be available next week in the United States. Tapping into Vudu won’t require a subscription (you pay per individual movie), but does require a PlayStation Network registration to get up and running—PS3 owners just need to go to the PlayStation Store and download the free Vudu application.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Vudu offers high-definition films for instant rental and purchase, streaming to users in HD and HDX 1080p formats, often with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. Vudu carries many recent releases the same day they’re released on DVD or Blu-ray. The Vudu application also enables users to recommend movies and programming to friends via integrated social networking tools.

The deal makes the PS3 the only gaming console to offer Vudu streaming movies.

Before the end of the year, Vudu is promising to upgrade the PlayStation 3 application to support Vudu 2.0, a revamped version of the Vudu interface that aims to improve basic browsing and navigation, as well as deliver content recommendations based on a user’s viewing history.

Vudu rental fees typically range from $3.99 to $5.99 (although they can dip as low as $0.99), depending on the resolution of the movies. Many movie titles are available to own for fees typically ranging from $9.99 to $19.99, with extremes as low as $4.99 and as high as $24.99.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Audio / Video

Samsung, Google are attacking Dolby Atmos’ monopoly on 3D sound, and it’s going to get ugly

Dolby Atmos Under attack.

When you think of immersive, 3D sound for movies and music, one name usually comes to mind: Dolby Atmos. Despite the existence of competing surround sound formats and technologies,like DTS:X, MPEG-H, Sony 360 Reality Audio, and Auro3D, they barely register when compared to the juggernaut that is Dolby Atmos. With strong (and growing) support from movie studios, music labels, streaming services, game consoles, smartphones, and audio equipment makers, there’s little doubt that Dolby Atmos and Dolby Atmos Music have become the de facto 3D sound standards.

And yet, if Google and Samsung get their way, Dolby Atmos’ reign as the king of immersive audio might be about to meet its biggest challenge to date. Together, the two tech giants have been quietly working on an open-source and royalty-free 3D sound format known by the awkward name Immersive Audio Model and Formats. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that format wars are rarely fought for the benefit of the public. And even a free version of Atmos that’s every bit as good as the original could face harrowing barriers to adoption.
Why do we need another Dolby Atmos?

Gaming

Sony’s new PlayStation earbuds are a perfect match — for my Nintendo Switch

Sony's Pulse Explore earbuds sit next to a Nintendo Switch OLED.

If you’re the kind of PlayStation loyalist who buys every add-on Sony puts out, 2023 may have been a pricey year for you. We’ve gotten the DualSense Edge, PlayStation VR2, a brand new PS5 model, and the PlayStation Portal -- but that’s not all. Sony is refreshing its audio offerings on top of all that, starting with the Pulse Explore next month.

Sony’s new wireless earbuds are built with PlayStation devices in mind. They use a new PlayStation Link connection system, which is built to easily pair them with the PlayStation 5. That tech actually replaces Bluetooth entirely on the new PlayStation Portal, which means that the Pulse Explore will be one of the only ways to get wireless audio on the handheld this year. It’s a sign that Sony is getting more aggressive about building a dedicated PlayStation ecosystem, Apple-style. It doesn’t just want you to buy Sony consoles, but all of the black-and-white accessories that go with them too.

Audio / Video

Nebula’s new Capsule 3 and Mars 3 Air projectors go with Google TV

The Nebula Mars 3 Air portable projector on a table.

The Nebula Mars 3 Air Nebula

Anker's popular sub-brand Nebula has been gaining a reputation for making some excellent projectors, and today the company added to its lineup with two new portable offerings. The soda-can sized Capsule 3 and the slightly bigger and more powerful Mars 3 Air will retail for $550 and $600, respectively, and will be available on November 20.